


Attention, please!

by Seeking7



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Outset Island, Tabantha Stable, Wind just wants to chill with Wolfie, Wolfie is a Good Boy, Wolfie wants to chill with Wild, shenanigans ensue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27549697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seeking7/pseuds/Seeking7
Summary: Wind wants to hang out with Wolfie, but Wolfie always seems to be a little bit busy.A short, fluffy fic detailing some of Wind's silly attempts to get Wolfie's attention!+++++My gift to Novalice for the Artist Appreciation Project! This fic is 100% inspired by their lovely drawing of Wind and Wolife hanging out together. Please make sure to check out their art!
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Wind & Wolfie (Linked Universe)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 116





	Attention, please!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope you'll enjoy this short fic! This was made for Novalice for the Artist Appreciation Project. Nova, I hope you enjoy!

Wind was absolutely fascinated by Wolfie. 

All things considered, he shouldn’t have been. The sailor had encountered plenty of strange and wonderful creatures on his adventures: sentient trees, talking fish, golden frogs, ancient deities, strange, thirty-year old men with an affinity for skin-tight bodysuits and shouting “ _ koolo-limpah!” _ in a voice that was always just a little bit too loud…

In short, Wind had seen everything.

_ Almost  _ everything.

Yet there was something different about the wolf. 

Perhaps it was the way the great beast carried himself. There was a muscular swagger in his shoulders, a cerulean intelligence in his eyes, a cool, crisp calculation in every turn of his head. Or maybe it was the smell of dusk that seemed to leak into the air around him. Or perhaps it was the way his fur was permanently glossy, almost as if some divine, shadowy being kept him in good care. 

Whatever it was, Wind was captivated. 

And yet, to the sailor’s dismay, it was very clear that the wolf had no interest in him.

Wind had done everything he could to alter this unfortunate state of events. Time and time again Wind had offered the warmest part of his bedroll and the thickest part of his dinner steak only for the wolf to rebuff him with a snort and a smirk. Wild and Four watched Wind’s antics with cool, knowing smiles on their faces, and the sailor couldn’t help but think that they knew something he didn’t. 

No matter. 

He would become best friends with this beast, whether the wolf wanted it or not. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It started with a stick.

“Wolfie!” Wind cried, pinching his lips together and letting out a shrill whistle. “C’mon! You’re going to get left behind!” 

The sailor glanced at the wolf, who was still circling around the clearing where the group had set up camp the night before. Patches of lime grass sat in flattened circles and overturned lumps, the only memories of the quick-moving feet and heavy bags that had resided there the night before. The first hints of dawn leaked over the horizon, and the smell of daylight hung like smoke over the slowly-waking world. The others had already made their way down the path, and Wild had dispatched Wind at the last moment to tell the wolf to hurry up. 

Wind whistled again, grinning when the wolf pinned his ears back and shot him a dirty look. 

“Well? Let’s go!” the sailor exclaimed. 

The wolf turned around with the canine equivalent of a sigh, then followed Wind. Twigs snapped underneath as the two made their way through the underbrush. The wolf lagged a few paces behind, his nose crinkled in a mixture of pain and disgust as the forest must clung to his nose. 

Wind hummed as he skipped over dead leaves and long-forgotten logs, picking up a silver branch as he sauntered along. The branch dangled at his side, swaying in tune with his singing. It scraped the forest floor and thwacked against tree branches, a conduit for the sailor’s vibrance. 

Tree by tree and leaf by leaf, the forest fell away from around them, and it wasn’t long before Wind and Wolfie had rejoined the group. The wolf trotted to Wild’s side as soon as the champion was in sight, chin high and eyes bright, and a familiar prickle of jealousy trickled down Wind’s spine. 

The sailor’s eyebrows drew together, and Wind crossed his arms only to be whacked in the face by the stick he still carried. 

“Jealousy is a double-edged sword, Wind. Or should I say, double edged stick?” 

Legend snickered at his lame joke, and Wind barely restrained himself from whacking the smug veteran with his stick. 

“You aren’t funny,” Wind responded, his face set into a stony scowl. “And I’m not jealous.” 

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say.” The veteran ran a hand through his hair and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know, I hear that dogs like playing fetch. Maybe if you wanted to grab Wolfie’s attention, you could, I dunno…” 

Wind looked at the stick in his hand, then glanced up at Wolfie. He was still walking next to Wild, eyes trained on the road ahead, head slightly tilted to the side to better hear the champion’s incessant chattering. 

“Do you really think Wolfie is that dumb?” Wind asked. In any other context his words might have been taken for an insult, but the genuine wonder in his voice spoke to the contrary. 

Legend smirked and let a calm smile dance on his lips.

“That wolf is about as smart as a goatherd. Go for it, kid.” 

Emboldened by the veteran’s calm words, Wind darted ahead, the stick held tight in his hand. 

“Hey, Wolfie!” the sailor said, carrying the stick high above his head, “do you see this stick?” 

Everyone turned to look at Wind. 

Except Wolfie.

The sailor had to repeat his exhortation three more times before the wolf turned around to give him a tired, patient glance. The thrill of attention glittered under Wind’s skin, and he spun the stick in his hands before tossing it in front of him. 

“Fetch, boy!” 

The twig sailed through the air. The world came to a stop, watching the silver stick twirl overhead like an expertly shot arrow, and Wind’s knew his time of acclamation was near. 

The wolf would catch the stick, and---

“I caught it!” Hyrule exclaimed. 

The traveler let out a wild whoop, then sprinted over to Wind. He laid the stick at the sailor’s feet, face glowing with pride, and waited patiently for Wind’s words. 

“Uh, thank you,” Wind said at last, unable to find a way to explain that the stick wasn’t meant for Hyrule. “Great catch!”

The traveler grinned. 

And, for a split second, Wind could have sworn that Wolfie was snickering at him. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Here we are!” Wild declared, his arms spread out in front of him. “Tabantha Bridge Stable. It should only take me a moment to get us a few beds for the night. In the meantime, feel free to make yourselves at home.” 

With Wild’s blessing, the road-weary group split apart and diffused across the stable. Sky, Four, and Time made a beeline to the stable interior, seeking out the grandest and plumpest beds for the night. Hyrule was content to wander about and strike up a conversation with a few traveling merchants. Legend and Warriors took a particular interest in the local vegetation, betting on how long it would take for one of them to climb to the top of the mushroom-shaped trees. 

Wind grinned. 

That left him and Wolfie. 

With calculated, confident steps, Wind skipped his way over to one one of the stable puppies. The dog looked up at the sailor with huge grey eyes, cocked its head, then bounded over to wriggle between Wind’s legs. The sailor laughed at the sudden show of affection and scooped the puppy up into his arms, gently scratching the fur underneath the dog’s ears. 

Wolfie lurked in the corner of Wind’s eyes. 

“Aren’t you the cutest?” Wind cooed, swaying the puppy in his arms. “You are so liddol and nice!” 

The puppy’s tongue lolled, and he stared at Wind with utter contentment. 

Wolfie did nothing. 

“You are so much cuter than that mean old wolf over there! He’s grumpy and rude, but you’re sweet and friendly! I’d rather play with you than him any day of the week.” 

The puppy barked and licked Wind’s face. 

And Wolfie approached. 

At first, he was only a grey smear in the periphery of Wind’s vision. But as the sailor lathered more and more adoration on the tiny, wriggling puppy, Wolfie crept forth at a steadily increasing pace. Wind’s heart beat faster, and faster, and faster and-- 

Wolfie walked right past him. 

And took a seat next to Wild, who had just started cooking dinner. 

“Hey there, Wind!” Wild said, waving a soup ladle in the air. “I got us all beds. You can tuck in now if you want, but it should only be a few minutes until dinner is ready, if you wanted to stick around.” 

“...thanks, but I’m good,” Wind replied.

“You do you,” Wild said, turning his attention back to the stew. Wolfie took a seat at Wild’s feet and happily drifted off to sleep. Wind’s scowl only deepened as a familiar, jealous coolness crept down his back.

The puppy nudged Wind’s neck in a gentle cry for attention, whimpering until the sailor focused back on him.

“I feel you,” Wind said, half-heartedly petting the puppy as it dozed off in his arms. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The smell of seagulls and sugar carried on the air, and Wind relaxed into his hammock as the sea breeze salted his face. 

After months adventuring between dimensions and different pockets of time and history, it felt good to be back on Outset Island. 

However, despite all the time that had passed, he still couldn’t get Wolfie to hang out with him for more than a handful of minutes. 

Wind almost instantly tired of the thought of Wolfie. He pushed the myriad of failed shenanigans to the corner of his mind before they could spoil his mood, then turned his head towards the setting sun. Golden light glinted off the surface of the great sea, and soft, cotton-candy clouds floated lazily over the horizon. The silhouette of Tetra’s ship bobbled in the harbor, and the sound of distant laughter and chatter flowed and ebbed with the waves. 

“...oh, blow the man down…” Wind hummed, letting the traditional bombast of his favorite sea shanty melt into a lazy lullaby. The words slipped off his lips and hung in the air like albatros over the sea. 

“Link? Link, where are you?” a gravelly voice called. Tiny footsteps echoed on the wooden porch, breaking the lull of dusk. 

“I’m here, Grandma!” Wind responded, sitting upright in his hammock and smiling instinctively when his grandmother’s face came into view. A moment of pure, quiet joy found only in domestic things passed between them, a heartbeat of perfect silence, before Wind’s grandmother pinched his cheek.

“Aaah! Grandma! Stop!!” 

“So precious,” his grandma said, finally relenting after Wind’s eyes started to smart. “I just came to ask you when you’re going to give Miss Tetra her gift.” 

“...what gift?” Wind asked, his eyes drifting back to the huge pirate ship docked on Outset harbor. 

“Her gift, sweetie. Her birthday gift.” 

“Her birthday is  _ today?” _

“Well, yes. I thought you knew? I mean, that’s why the ship is here -- for the party. Oh dear, I should have reminded you…” 

“No, no, Grandma, it’s okay. Don’t worry,” Wind said, stumbling over his words and limbs as he scrambled to get out of the hammock. “I need to go. I -- uh -- I need to go get my gift.” 

Wind bounced off the porch and sprinted through the hot sand before his grandmother could say another word. It was only after he had tripped twice and banged his knee against someone’s garden fence did he realize he had no idea where he was going. 

Out of all the things to forget…

Out of all the things he could  _ possibly _ forget….

Wind raked his hands through his hair and sat on the gritty shoal with a huff. He had known about the birthday for weeks...no, for  _ months.  _ Every time he had stepped into a store over the past few days of his adventure, the first thing and only thing he could think about was which velvety trinkets or sharp, dangerous looking weapons Tetra might like most. Each time he had put off the purchase, worried that he might find something better during his next shopping excursion. 

The sailor looked down at his empty hands, then groaned. 

Tetra would understand, for sure. She might be a little bit irked, and perhaps unintentionally treat him with a little more distance than usual, but she would understand. The high-energy life of a hero on the run wasn’t foreign to her, even though, given her meticulous, careful tendencies, forgetting something as big as a best friend’s birthday was sure to be. 

Somehow, the fact that Tetra wouldn’t be mad made him feel even worse. 

Wind hung his head and racked his mind for a solution, digging his fists deeper into his hair when he came up with nothing. Sand fleas flicked and danced around him. Wind slapped them away with more force than necessary, the petulant fury building in his throat accompanied by embarrassment at allowing himself to get so emotional so quickly. 

Something wet and heavy bumped against his tunic. Wind grumbled and tried to smack it away, cringing when his hand hit something boney and furry. 

Wolfie. 

Wolfie’s muzzle, to be precise. 

“What do you want?” Wind huffed, trying and failing to stop his surprise from softening his words. 

Wolfie said nothing -- as expected -- only bumping his nose against Wind’s. The sailor giggled in spite of himself, grinning when the wolf curled up into the space between his criss crossed legs. 

“Hold on, so  _ now  _ you want to hang out with me?” 

The wolf nodded his head. A canine smirk pulled the edges of his muzzle upwards as Wind sputtered in angry protest, trying to explain all the reasons why Wolfie was the last person he wanted to be with at the moment. Wolfie only tilted his head in thoughtful agreement and waited for the sailor’s monologue to trail off. 

“I have nothing to say to you,” the sailor finally remarked, having run out of words to haphazardly toss in Wolfie’s direction. “I have important things to do. To figure out. To, uh...could you just please go away?” 

A velveteen understanding glinted in Wolfie’s eyes. The hesitated, then stood up, and only then did Wind see the bracelets of morning glory blossoms twisted around the Wolfie’s paws. With an aura of brooding patience so familiar it gave Wind deja-vu, Wolfie propped his paws on Wind’s lap. 

“What am I supposed to do with these?” Wind questioned. 

The wolf’s shoulders rose and fell. 

“Am I just supposed to prance into Tetra’s birthday party with a pretty pair of flower bracelets -- throw in a lei while you’re at it, huh? -- and just pretend that me looking pretty is enough to distract from the fact that I forgot to get her a gift?” 

Wolfie’s expression was flat. 

“Wait…,” Wind murmured, taking a closer look at the braided flower bracelets on Wolfie’s wrists and gently sliding them onto his own, “are these for Tetra?” 

Wolfie let out a surprisingly human sigh, then nodded his head. 

“Yes! Thank you so much!!” Wind drew the beast into a crushing hug, relishing the feeling of Wolfie nuzzling against him. After locking Wolfie in a hug a few seconds longer than one usually would, the sailor stood up and made his way to Tetra’s ship. 

“You know, I’ll still have to get her a real gift,” Wind muttered as the two walked along. The wolf tilted his head in understanding and trotted happily beside Wind, head and tail held high. “You’re the best,” Wind continued. “Do you know that? You’re the best.”

Wolfie nodded, grinning toothily up at the sailor. 

Wind tried not to grin too wide. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Please don't be afraid to leave a comment or a question below. I'm a bit slower at responding than usual (mostly because of school), but you have my word that if you write a comment, you will get a response! Take care! 💖💖💖


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